Hobart Archbishop urges Upper House to reject cloning bill

Published: 29 October 2007

Hobart Archbishop Adrian Doyle has urged Tasmanian Legislative
Councillors to reject moves to allow the creation of human embryos for
experimentation and destruction because other more ethical and
scientifically proven methods of stem cell research already exist.

Archbishop
Doyle (pictured) said while he shared the hope advances in
biotechnology would bring about cures for many illnesses, such as
Parkinson’s Disease, diabetes and cystic fibrosis, human cloning for
research was not an option.

“All Catholics recognize the
potential good that biotechnology may bring to the health and
well-being of the Tasmanian community,” Archbishop Doyle said

“Human embryos are not raw materials for research. They are human beings at the very beginning of life.”

Archbishop
Doyle said if the legislation was to pass, it would create in two
classes of human beings – those created to live and those created to be
killed.

“There are currently over 80 therapies and around 300 clinical trials underway using non-embryonic human stem cells,” he said.

“Legislative
Councillors should be aware that voting against this Bill will not deny
Tasmanians the chance to benefit from the great scientific advances
already being made in stem cell research,”

Doyle reiterated
Catholics supported ethical research and therapy which embodied respect
for embryonic as well as adult human beings, but that this legislation
did not measure up ethically and it should be rejected.